Message no. 1

From:	Paul J. Adam ShadowTK@********.demon.co.uk
Subject:	Office Talk
Date:	Fri, 5 May 2000 00:44:06 +0100

*****INTERNAL: Lone Star Archive
Not unexpected, and an interesting change of direction.

+++++begin video
Hart knocks on the door, whose glass reads "CAPTAIN P. MORAN, HOMICIDE".
Moran waves her into the tidy office, and she sits while he finishes his
'phone call: then closes the door.

"Juli. How much more can you tell me about the APEX case?"

"You've got pretty much all I can share. I trust the source."

The Captain nods, sitting behind his desk: like the office, it's devoid
of all but the essentials (terminal, blotter, in-trays and a single
framed photograph of Mrs Moran). "Someone, we don't know who, has
muscled into the area Malone had cleared. Keeping it very quiet and
well-behaved, except when the competition shows up they get thoroughly
perforated with milspec ammo."

"That's the gist of it, yeah."

"Right. Now, Juli, I got to ask, do you see this as needing further
investigation?"

Hart shakes her head. "Nope. Not right now. Not unless we get some real
people hurt or a war starting."

"Good, because I need you. Narcotics are setting up a bust and they want
backup in case it goes bad." Moran looks inquiringly at her.

"I thought that's what we paid our SWAT teams for?"

"Yeah, and they're overcommitted already, which is why the Narcs are
having to make do with you, Milton and Cragie." The Captain looks
apologetic.

Hart sounds shocked. "Milton's a rookie just made detective, and
Cragie's a drunk. Jesus, Pat, are we _that_ short these days?"

"Yeah, we are. Which is why I need you to stiffen things up and keep
charge of the situation if it develops. Ferguson in Narco's running the
case, he'll brief you."
+++++end video

Can't blame Pat for pulling the plug. Real people are getting folded,
spindled and mutilated... a few out-of-town mobsters getting nailed
don't matter much compared to that.

As long as it doesn't escalate...

And as long as nothing too bad happens to the narcs on their raid. If
the best backup they've got is Milton, Cragie and me, they're in deep
doo-doo if the drek hits the fan.]<<<<<
-- Lt. Julianne Hart <00:34:56/05-05-61>
Lone Star (Tacoma)